Oakland Ballers Independent Baseball Team Started by Fans Ahead of A's Vegas Move

Professional baseball will live on in Oakland, California, after the Oakland Athletics relocate from their current home.

The Oakland Ballers announced themselves Tuesday.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the B's are looking to begin play in the Pioneer League in the summer of 2024. Don Wakamatsu, who managed the Seattle Mariners for two seasons, will be the executive vice president of baseball operations, and former former MLB outfielder Micah Franklin will manage the squad.

B's co-founder Bryan Carmel told Passan the Athletics' impending relocation spurred him and fellow co-founder Paul Freedman to act.

We just felt like our hearts had been ripped from our chests, like all East Bay sports fans," he said. "Oakland is a city that has seen the Raiders leave town, the Warriors move across town. There was a lot of chatter that maybe Oakland isn't a pro sports town. We reject that completely."

On Nov. 16, MLB owners approved the Athletics' move to Las Vegas, effectively serving as the final nail in the coffin for those hoping to see a reversal at the 11th hour. The franchise's new stadium in Sin City won't be completed until 2028, though, raising questions about where it will call home beyond 2024.

Given the general sentiment, staying in Oakland any longer than planned is probably out of the question.

There isn't a better time to launch a baseball alternative in the city. The Oakland Ballers obviously won't completely fill the void the Athletics leave behind, but plenty of fans will be eager to send whatever message they can to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and A's principal owner John Fisher.